“I believe that to move South Africa to be a more equal country, powerful organising rooted in community struggles against racial and economic exclusion must be galvanised and supported.”

Tess Peacock believes that to move South Africa to be a more equal country, powerful organising rooted in community struggles against racial and economic exclusion must be galvanised and supported. The recent founder of the Equality Collective, Tess aims to work with community groups across the poorest municipalities in the Eastern Cape to build a rural justice network fighting for ukulingana nokulingana ngoku (‘Real Equality Now!’). Having worked as a passionate lawyer and advocate of education and early childhood development rights and services, Tess is committed to challenging power in the pursuit of greater equity and justice. Outside of this work, you can find Tess attempting various DIY projects or walking on the beach. 

Tess has a B.Soc.Sci in Politics, Philosophy and Economics as well as an LLB from UCT and an LLM from Harvard University. She completed her articles at Webber Wentzel attorneys before moving to the Legal Resources Centre for human rights experience. She also spent a year clerking at the Constitutional Court after being appointed by Justice Skweyiya. Tess has experience working in the education and early childhood development sectors at the grassroots, grant-making and policy levels (having worked at the Bulungula Incubator, for Tshikululu Social Investments and as a consultant for Ilifa Labantwana and the Nelson Mandela Foundation). She serves as the Treasurer of Equal Education and is a 2019/20 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and a Salzburg Global Fellow.